Machine and method for forming helical springs



Dec. 14, 1937. R. F. CARLBERG 2,101,982

MACHINE AND METHOD FCR FORMING HELICAL SPRINGS Filed Feb. 11, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR. W 731 H v j c Fa m on CZ F. (La/117 61? gjmd g MW mm A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 14, 1937. v CARLBERG' 2,101,982

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FORMING HELICAL SPRINGS Filed Feb. 11, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 14, 1937. R CARLBERG 2,101,982

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FORMING HELICAL SPRINGS Filed Feb. 11, 1937 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fayn'ioncZF Carlbew Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Raymond F. Carlberg, Grand Rapids, Mich. Application February 11, 1937, Serial No. 125,206

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines and methods for successively forming helical springs with mounting or attaching opposite ends; and its object is, generally, to provide an improved machine and method for thus forming such springs; and more particularly, to provide a continuously operating machine comprising means for bending over, from parallelism with a fed helical spring-work piece, portions thereof to constitute mounting or attaching opposite ends for each of a succession of finished helical springs, means for severing each finished spring from the work piece, and means for limiting the feed movements thereof, said means operating in ordered'time relation.

Although such means may be otherwise mounted for operative movement, they are preferably mounted for circuitous movement in one direction.

An illustrative preferable embodiment of my invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational front view of the machine;

Figure 2 is an elevational left-hand side view thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a developed edge view of the rotor disk of the machine.

Figure 5 is an outer (left hand) side view of a portion of said disk with a work-bending member mounted thereon;

Figure 6'is a like view of another portion of the disk "with the severing member carried thereby;

Figure 7 is a. like view of another portion of the disk with a work-bending member thereon;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of parts shown in Figure '5 taken on line 8-8 of that view and of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a sectional view of parts seen in Figure 6 taken on line 99 of that View and of Figure 4;

Figure 10 is a sectional view of parts shown on Figure 7 taken on line Ill-l0 of that view and of Figure 4;

Figure 11 is a radial sectional'view of the rotor disk and of a stop member mounted thereon taken on either line ll--ll of Figure 4;

Figure 12 is an inner (right hand) side view of a portion of rotor disk with a work-bending member and finger carried thereby;

Figure 13 is a like view of said portion of the disk and said member in a farther turned position of rotor;

Figure '14 is a like view of another portion of the disk with a stop member thereon;

Figure 151s a like view of another portion of said disk with the severing member thereon;

Figure 16 is a radial sectional view of the rotor disk, a stop member mounted thereon and adjacent parts taken on line 16-46 of Figure 14;

Figure l? is an inner (right hand) side view of a pertion of said disk with a work-bending member carried thereby;

Figure 18 is a sectional view thereof taken on line ifi-iii of Figure 17;

Figure 19 is a side View of a finished helical spring.

This machine hasthe'following parts or members. In a horizontal bearing l in the standard 2 of a suitable base, rotates the shaft 3 of arotor element driven by a pulley 4 coupled therewith by a suitable clutch, as that shown in Figure 1. This rotor element has a head, or .disk 5, on which are carried angularly spaced work-bending members 6, l, a severing member 8, stop members 9, i6 and a work-bending finger II, the members 6, l, 8 being adjustable in radial slots ill in the disks outer (left hand) side and held in adjusted position by screws l3 extending through slots It in the disk and threaded in said members, and the stop members are adjustably held inwardly from the outer (left hand) side of the disk by screws l5 extendingithrough these members slots l6 and threaded in-the circular edge portion of said disk, all as shown in the views. These stop members are shown adjusted inwardly from the disks outer side at a distance equal to the thickness of one coil or turn of the helical spring. A cylinder l! is turnable and slidable in a horizontal bearing l8 through the standard l9 to adjusted position in which it is held by the set screw 20. This cylinder has an eccentric bore 2|.

The machine operates as follows: The rotor is turned to the position wherein the work-a length 22 of helical spring-registers with the stop member 9. The work is fed inwardly through the bore 2! until its inner end 23 abuts said stop member as shown in Figure 4. The rotor being turned by the pulley in the direction of the long arrows of Figure 4; and the curved arrows of other views to operate themachine, causes the forward edge 24 of the work-bending member 5 to engage between the first and second turns or coils at the works inner end 23, and causes said members curved side 26, to bend over the first (i. e. the end) coil to constitute the mounting partthe eye or hook 2'lat one end of the finished spring 28 shown in Figure 19. (See Figures 1'7, 18.)

The work is then fed inwardly until its inner end (said eye 27) abuts the stop 30, adjustable on, the rod 35 to provide finished springs of desired length. The disks continuing rotation brings its finger l i into engagement with the inwardly protruding portion 33 of the work and springs its coil 34 from the next coil 35 (Figures 1 and. 12) so that the forward edge 36 of the following work-bending member I may readily enter between these two coils and its curved side 31 may bend over the works portion 33 from coil 35 (Figure 13) which coil 35 is to constitute the eye 35 at the other end of the finished spring. The rotors continuing rotation brings the other stop member l6 into registration with the work, whereupon the work is fed inwardly a slight distancethe width, of one of its coilsuntil the coil 35 abuts said stop member. (Figure 16.) The rotors continuing movement brings the cutting edge 38 of the severing member 8 between coil 35 and the next coil inwardly therefrom, thus severing the finished spring 28 from the remainder of the work (Figure 15). The process of successively forming individual finished springs with mounting portions 21 and 35 at their opposite ends iscontinued by the constant rotation of the rotor and the feeding of the work as above described.

It will thus be seen that the disk element 5 rotatably moving in a direction transverse that portion 22 of the work which is guided in the bore Zl' carries the member for severing from said portion 22 that portion 33 which protrudes from the guide sufficiently to constitute one of the finished springs and also carries the members for bending over end portions of each of said portions 22, 33 which constitute the mounting end parts or eyes 27, 35 of each finished spring. The cylinder Il may be turned to adjusted positions for increasing or decreasing the distance between its bore 2| and the axis of the rotor thus to adjust the action of the work-bending and severingmembers relatively to the axis of the helicalwork; these members may be severally adjusted radially of the disk for similar purpose; and the stop members 9, ll! may be adjusted in the rotors. axial direction to provide spring-mounting portions comprising one or more coils.

It will be seen that there is no waste of the 7 work material in the forming of successive finished springs 28. But if the inner end of the helical work is deformed so that a perfect eye or in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction and arrangement of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the, longitudinally fed work; an

element having a movement transverse the work;

' a member carried by said element for severing from said portion a free end portion of the work to constitute one of said helical springs; a member carried by said element for bending; over an end part of one of said portions to constitute a mounting part of one of said helical springs. V

2. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinal ly fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the longitudinally fed work; an element having a movement transverse the work; a member carried by said element for severing from said portion a free end portion of the work to constitute one of said helical springs; members carried by said element for bending over adjacent end parts of said portions respectively to constitute mounting parts of successive helical springs.

3. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the longitudinally fed work; a rotatable element having a movement transverse the Work; a member carried by said element for severing from said portion a free end portion of the work to constitute one of said helical springs; a member carried by said element for bending over an end part of one of said portions to constitute. a mounting part of one of said helical springs.

4. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion oftl'ie longitudinally fed work; a rotatable element having a movement transverse the work; a member carried by said element for severing from said portion a free end portion of the work to constitute one of said helical springs; members carried by said element for bending over adjacent end parts of said portions respectively to constitute mounting parts of successive helical springs. V I

5. A machine of .the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudi. nally fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the longitudinally fed work; an element having a movement transverse the work; a member carried by said element for bending over from said portion a free end portion of the work protruding from the guide far enough to constitute one of said helical springs; a stop for limitingrthe feed movement of the first mentionedportion, spaced from the guide a distance equal to a length of the work adapted to constitute a mounting end part of said helical spring; a member'carried by said element for severing the second mentioned portion with said length from the first mentioned portion of the work.

6. A machine. of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed'helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the longitudinally fed work; an element having a movement transverse the work; a member carried by said element for bending over from said portion a free end portion of the work protruding from the guide far enough to constitute one of said helical springs;

a stop for limiting the feed movement of the first mentioned portion, spaced from the guide a distance equal to a length of the work adapted to constitute a mounting end part of said helical spring; a finger carried by-said element for engaging said second mentioned portion and springing the same laterally from the first men'- tioned portion; a member carried by said element for severing the second mentioned portion with 7 said length from the first mentioned portion of the work.

7. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs fromlongi5 I end portion of the work protruding from the guide far enough to constitute one of said helical springs; a stop for limiting the feed movement of the first mentioned portion, spaced from the guide a distance equal to a length of the work adapted to constitute a mounting end part of said helical spring; a member carried by said element for severing the second mentioned portion with said length from the first mentioned portion of the work.

8. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the longitudinally fed work; a rotatable element having a movement transverse the work; a member carried by said element for bending over from said portion a free end portion of the work protruding from the guide far enough to constitute one of said helical springs; a stop for limiting the feed movement of the first mentioned portion, spaced from the guide a distance equal to a length of the Work adapted to constitute a mounting end part of said helical spring; a finger carried by said element for engaging said second mentioned portion and springing the same laterally from the first mentioned portion; a member carried by said element for severing the second mentioned portion with said length from the first mentioned portion of the work. i

9. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the longitudinally fed work; an element having a movement transverse the work; a stop for limiting the feed movement of the work, spaced from the guide a distance equal to a length of the work adapted to constitute a mounting part of one of said helical springs at one end thereof; a member carried by said element for bending over said length from said portion of the work to constitute said mounting part; a member carried by said element for bending over from said portion a free end portion of the work fed to a position protruding from the guide far enough to constitute said helical spring; a stop for limiting the feed movement 'of the first mentioned portion, spaced from the guide a distance equal to a length of the work, adapted to constitute a mounting part of said helical spring at the opposite end thereof; a member carried by said element for severing the second mentioned portion with said lengths from the first mentioned portion of the Work guided in the guide.

10. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the longitudinally fed work; an element having a movement transverse the work; a. stop for limiting the feed movement of the work, spaced from the guide a distance equal to a length of the work adapted to constitute a. mounting part of one of said helical springs at one end thereof; a member carried by said element for bending over said length from said portion of the work to constitute said mounting part; a member carried by said element for bending over from said portion a free end portion of the work fed to a position protruding from, the guide far enough to constitute said helical spring; a stop for limiting the feed movement of the first mentioned portion, spaced from the guide a distance equal to a length of the work adapted to constitute a mounting part of said helical spring at the opposite end thereof; a finger carried by said element for engaging the protruding second mentioned portion and springing the same laterally from the first mentioned portion of the Work guided in the guide; a member carried by said element for severing the second mentioned portion with said lengths from the first mentioned portion of the work guided in the guide.

11. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed helical spring work, comprising: a guide for a portion of the longitudinally fed work, an element rotatable transversely of the work carrying the following members in angularly spaced successively operating relation; a stop for limiting the feed movement of the work, spaced from the end of the guide a distance equal to a length of the work adapted to constitute a mounting part of one of said helical springs at one of its ends; a member for bending over said length from the portion of the work guided in the guide to constitute said mounting part; a member for bending over from) said portion guided in the guide a free end portion of the work fed to a position protruding from the guide far enough to constitute said helical spring; a stop for limiting the farther feed movement of the first mentioned portion guided in the guide, spaced-from the end of the guide a distance equal to a length of the work adapted to constitute a mounting part of said helical spring at its other end; and a member cooperating with the end of the guide for severing the protruding second mentioned portion including both its said mounting opposite end parts from the remainder of the first mentioned portion of the work guided in. the guide.

12. A machine of the class described for successively forming helical springs from longitudinally fed helical spring work, comprising: a base, a cylindrical guide turnably mounted on the base, having an eccentric bore for guiding the feeding movement of the work therethrough; an element having a movement on the base transverse the fed movement of the work; a member carried by said element for severing a portion of the work protruding from the end of the guide, the guide being turnable for adjusting the distance between its bore and the line of said elements movement.

13. A method of forming helical springs with mounting parts at their opposite ends, which method includes the following acts performed in the following order: axially moving a helical spring workpiece through a guide to a stopped position; bending over the forward end portion of the workpiece protruding from the guide to constitute a mounting part of a helical spring at one end thereof; axially moving the workpiece farther through the guide a distance equal to the desired length of the helical spring; bending over this protruding portion of the Workpiece to constitute a mounting part of said helical spring at the other end thereof; and severing said protruding portion with said mounting parts at its opposite ends from the remainder of the workpiece.

RAYMOND F. CARLBERG. 

